Thermal conductivity

Competency Group: Material Science

Type: Measure Hardware

Description: Thermal conductivity is a measure of a material's ability to conduct heat. There will only be a net flow of heat energy through a length of a material when there is a difference in temperature between the ends of the materials.

Citation for Description: Thermal Conductivity. (2012). Retrieved from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermal_conductivity

Units: W/m/K

Advantages: If handles for hot items are being built it is very useful to know what its thermal conductivity is to avoid burns.

Regulations: ASTM International. (n.d.). ASTM E1225 — 09 Standard Test Method for Thermal Conductivity of Solids by Means of the Guarded-Comparative-Longitudinal Heat Flow Technique. Retrieved from http://www.astm.org/Standards/E1225.htm

Target Audience: Engineering, R&D

Relevant to Universal Design: No

Stages and Steps: 2.2, 4.2, 4.3, 4.12, 7.1, 7.2

Free Resource: Engineers Edge. (2012). Thermal Conductivity of Common Metals, Alloys and Materials. Retrieved from http://www.engineersedge.com/heat_transfer/thermal-conductivity-metals-alloys.htm

Purchase Resource: Yaws, C. L. (1995). Handbook of Thermal Conductivity, Volume 1: Organic Compounds C1 to C4. Houston, TX: Gulf Publishing.